Business news
PM: 22 out of 34 big investment projects implemented in Belarus
MINSK, 17 December (BelTA) – Twenty-two out of 34 facilities built as part of major investment projects have already been commissioned, Belarusian Prime Minster Sergei Rumas said at a government session hosted by President Aleksandr Lukashenko on 17 December to discuss the most troubled investment projects, BelTA has learned.
The government is working to facilitate the completion of crucial investment projects. There are 34 of them now. As of today, 22 projects have already been completed, 12 of them have already reached their designed capacity,” Sergei Rumas said.
The key investment projects are implemented in mechanical engineering and metallurgy, pulp and paper industry and woodworking sector, light industry, oil processing and petrochemical complex, energy sector and construction industry.
The premier noted that some projects are not running smoothly. The government has drawn up draft presidential decrees to rectify the situation. As a rule, these projects need financial resources to reach the design parameters.
The project to build a bleached sulfate pulp plant at Svetlogorsk Pulp and Board Mill is nearing completion. “Since 2018 we have been running this project on our own. At present the plant is managed by Svetlogorsk Pulp and Board Mill and is operating steadily,” the premier noted. The average daily output makes up 80% of the design capacity. Since the start of the year the plant has made over 135,000 tonnes of bleached pulp meeting all international standards. The output and export have more than doubled over the year, the salary has increased 70%, some $48 million in foreign-currency revenues have been received; the profitability of sale stands at 18%. The production is safe. “We are working on expanding production capacities as part of a steady technological process,” Sergei Rumas said.
In his words, the facility is ready for commissioning: the punch list items were crossed off; six out of nine certificates were obtained. In order to complete all the procedures and commission the facility, the government suggests passing a bill that has already been submitted to the head of state for scrutiny.
Another project fraught with issues is the plant to make coated and uncoated board at the Dobrush-based paper mill Geroy Truda. The Presidium of the Council of Ministers passed an algorithm in order to bring this project to fruition. Sergei Rumas put forward solutions that might help the plant to go online in 2020 and reach the design capacity in 2022.
The premier reported that production of substrate paper for producing decorative facing materials in Shklov has not reached its contract parameters yet. At present the production line operates 24/7, but produces alternative products. Certain nodes and aggregates need to be adjusted in order to be able to produce the substrate paper of the adequate quality. A bill has been drafted to lay out measures to help the facility reach the design capacity in 2022.
Another investment project that got stalled has to do with fabric production. According to the premier, a bill was prepared to set up production of woolen fabric on the premises of the Kamvol factory with the capacity of 1 million running meters. The project is to be up and running at full capacity by 2024. Sergei Rumas noted that various options were on the table, but this one is the most optimal. The new production facility will be more profitable because of a more efficient use of energy resources, optimization of managerial and auxiliary staff.
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